Pat McAfee calls South Carolina women's basketball 'most dominant basketball team I've ever seen'

The South Carolina women’s basketball team appears to be on a mission in this year’s NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks pounded No. 8 seed North Carolina 88-41 on Sunday to advance to the Sweet 16.

South Carolina led 28-8 at the end of the first quarter and 56-19 at the half, dominating the game from start to finish.

Pat McAfee said on his show Monday afternoon that he was blown away by the performance.

“This South Carolina team almost won by 50. I mean they are unstoppable,” Pat McAfee said. “This South Carolina team may be the most dominant basketball team I’ve ever seen on the court. … That South Carolina team’s going to be a problem.

“Iowa’s got the heart. LSU’s got the pedigree, obviously. They’ve won a national championship. But that women’s tournament seemingly goes through one team and one team alone, and that’s the team that hasn’t lost yet and doesn’t seem to be anywhere close.”

The Gamecocks were undefeated last season up until the Final Four when they were upset by Iowa. South Carolina lost all five starters off of last year’s team, but it hasn’t mattered. This year’s team has been even more dominant.

South Carolina is currently 34-0, and its average margin of victory this season is 30.9. It was 28.5 in 2022-23.

Pat McAfee said it’s clear that the Gamecocks are playing with a chip on their shoulder in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

“They’re pissed. Like they were up 44, I think, at one point. Somebody from North Carolina did a reach in on the South Carolina girl and it hit off her knee and it goes out of bounds. They were furious that a foul wasn’t called,” McAfee recalled. “They had just gone on probably a 13-0 run, up 40 points, furious and pissed that there wasn’t a call.”

There are other talented teams out there, including Iowa, UConn, LSU and USC. But as things stand, McAfee doesn’t see any of them beating the Gamecocks.

South Carolina will face the winner of Oklahoma and Indiana in the Sweet 16 on Friday.

“The LSU team’s got a lot going on right now. They didn’t look as good. You talk about Iowa. OK, Iowa’s going to have to get hot before they face them. Stanford did great. UConn, they’re playing tonight with Paige [Bueckers] and doing their thing. So it’s like, great tournament, I’m enjoying watching it,” McAfee said. “But you watch that South Carolina team play basketball. … They are phenomenal, and good luck to them.”